‘Bukarot’ croc rescued in Valenzuela waters
A critically endangered freshwater crocodile, locally known as “bukarot,” was safely rescued from the waters of Valenzuela City after a coordinated response by environmental authorities and the local veterinary office.
The operation was jointly carried out by Valenzuela’s City Veterinary Services Office and the North Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Metropolitan Environmental Office.
The DENR-National Capital Region (NCR) said on Friday that initial assessment showed the crocodile—measuring around 7 feet and 3 inches in length and weighing approximately 70 kilograms—was in stable condition.
The animal was immediately transferred to the Wildlife Rescue Center of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau where it will undergo closer monitoring, assessment, and rehabilitation.
The Philippine freshwater crocodile is listed as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Fewer than 250 mature crocs are believed to remain in the wild, with fragmented populations in parts of northern Luzon and Mindanao.
The species are protected under Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
On Feb. 4, personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service (DENR-ELEPS) conducted an operation in Rosario, Batangas, that led to the confiscation of several wildlife species—among them five saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), seven Philippine long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis philippensis), three Asian box turtles, one reticulated python, and one Burmese python.
Last year, the DENR signed a Wildlife Loan Agreement with a private facility owner to strengthen wildlife conservation efforts in Zamboanga del Sur.
Under the agreement, the Lamiing Private Facility will temporarily care for two Philippine crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis) under offsite conservation management, as the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center currently cannot accommodate them and no known natural population exists in the province.
The DENR-NCR said “protecting endemic and critically endangered species such as the ‘bukarot’ is an essential part of maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance that supports both human life and the environment.”
